Household cash-box



Nov. 15, 1966 K,N|EDERER 7 3,285,681

HOUSEHOLD CASH-BOX Filed May 25, 1965 v if v ,70 1/ INVENTOR K 037' Alia-b525 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,285,681 HOUSEHOLD CASH-BOX Kurt Niederer, Eichfeldstrasse 8, Rapperswil, Switzerland Filed May 25, 1965, Ser. No. 458,677 2 Claims. (Cl. 312204) The present invention relates to cash boxes for allotting and keeping household money.

A housewife makes use of various expedients and procedures for dividing and storing her household money. Depending on the available amount of money or the family size, one or the other manner allotting the household money appears to be more advantageous. For one housewife the purse or money box may sufiice, while another one makes use of the purse and of an additional privy purse. Wide-spread also is the use of several wallets, pockets, bags, envelopes and the like that bear different inscriptions and to which the money for the various weeks or needs is clearly allocated. The latter way of allotting forms the basis of my present invention.

It is an object of the invention to provide a lockable household cash-box comprising several compartments for receiving equal amounts of money set aside for weekly expenses.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a household cash-box of the aforesaid type comprising further compartment-s which permit to branch off amounts of the monthly household money for separate purposes.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which,

FIG. 1 shows the opened box in perspective,

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line IIII of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on the broken line III-III of FIG. 1.

The box 5 is of substantially rectangular shape, and to one long side thereof is hinged at 7 a cover 6. On the front longitudinal wall of box 5 is disposed a lock 8 in which is engageable a bolt-nab or joint-bo1t 9 of cover 6. In the box is formed a central secret or privy space 12 by two spaced-apart longitudinal partitions and 11, which space is closed on top by a ceiling 13 that is slotted at 13' for the insertion of coins or folded bills. Space 12 is accessible on one of the two narrow box sides by means of a pivotable lid 14 provided with a lock that is operable by a key 15, the catch 16 of said lock being engageable in a slot on the under-side of a cross-bar 17 of the adjacent box top edge.

The box 5 also may be provided with a saving or privy space 12 of exactly the same type but without any lateral opening 14 with lock and key 15. The two sidewalls 19, 22 then are integral so that saving space 12 filled with cash has to be forced open at 13 or some other point.

The space on one side of privy purse 12 is subdivided by three cross-partitions 18 in four weekly-allotment compartments 19 of which the separate drop covers 20 pivoted on a hinge 2 are marked 1, 2, 3 and 4 in accordance with the specific week for which the money is destined. The space on the other side of privy purse 12 is subdivided by transverse partitions 21 in four further cash compartments 22 of which the separate drop covers 23, pivoted on a hinge 3, are marked A, B, C and D. The bottom of the various compartments 1 to 4 and A to D suitably is arched,

as shown by the dash-and-dot lines in FIGS. 2 and 3, so that coins may be readily scooped up.

The mode of use of the cash-box described is as follows. When, for example, the monthly household money amounts to $370, $70if possible in bills of $10are deposited in each Weekly compartment 1 to 4, i.e. a total of $280. Thus for each day from Monday to Friday and for each week in a month are available $10 for foodstuff, and for each Saturday $20. The remaining $90 :are so distributed into the compartments A to D as to have av-ailable $30 for milk and milk products in A, $25 for electrical current, gas and so on in B, $10 in C for repairs, dry cleaning, and $25 in D for various other expenses. In this way, the household money is put aside and ear-marked clearly and positively. Daily expenses may, of course, be attuned to their nature and peculiarities by spending more in one day and correspondingly less in another. However, no money should be taken away in advance from a coming week. Eventual advances or surplus are put aside into D (miscellaneous expenses) or secret space 12 and used by the housewife herself. Book-keeping of small items is superfluous and may be dispensed with. The cash box disclosed herein currently offers a clear compilation and survey the cash on hand for daily and weekly use respectively. The money always may be found in one place only. Misplacing or looking around for money at any possible or impossible place is positively eliminated. Bills and small change may be readily put into the compartments or taken therefrom.

The key 15 for the secret or savings space 12 may be kept in compartment D or deposited at some neutral place such as bank, insurance company, furniture store, television shop or the like. In the former case the housewife may freely dispose of her savings, while in the latter case the contents of this compartment are handed over to the bank or other shop that keeps the key as deposit on a savings account.

On the inside of box cover 6 advantageously is arranged a neutral or printed replaceable book-keeping sheet on which are entered the budgeted and effective expenses for each month of the year according to a printed and clear scheme which forms an integral part of the entire household savings system.

To cover 13 is pasted-on a paper slip on which are written notes, demarcated in fields, which more fully explain the digits 1 to 4 and letters A to D marked on the lids 20 and 23.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to a now preferred example and embodiment of the invention it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A household cash-box for allotting and keeping household money, comprising a lockable box sub-divided in a plurality of separate compartments of which four are adapted to receive equal amounts as weekly allotments and further compartments are adapted to receive allocations of the monthly household money for separate uses,

and a secret space independent of said compartments and slotted on its top for the insertion of coins and folded bills, said compartments being arranged in rows parallel to the front Wall of the box, the latter being marked by digits for Weekly-allotment compartments and respectively by letters for special expenses, spaced partitions separating the rows of compartments and defining therebetween the secret space and a closure lid for each compartment and access means to the secret space.

2. A household cash-box as in claim 1 wherein the separate access means to the secret space comprises a box sidewall With a hingedly mounted lockable lid.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS OrdWay 206-1 Lilleston 20683 X Koeune 2324 Daniel 3524 Links 8495 Butler 312222 10 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner. 

1. A HOUSEHOLD CASH-BOX FOR ALLOTTING AND KEEPING HOUSEHOLD MONEY, COMPRISING A LOCKABLE BOX SUB-DIVIDED IN A PLURALITY OF SEPARABLE COMPARTMENTS OF WHICH FOUR ARE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE EQUAL AMOUNTS AS WEEKLY ALLOTMENTS AND FURTHER COMPARTMENTS ARE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE ALLOCATIONS OF THE MONTHLY HOUSEHOLD MONEY FOR SEPARATE USES, AND A SECRET SPACE INDEPENDENT OF SAID COMPARTMENTS AND SLOTTED ON ITS TOP FOR THE INSERTION OF COINS AND FOLDED BILLS, SAID COMPARTMENTS BEING ARRANGED IN ROWS PARALLEL TO THE FRONT WALL OF THE BOX, THE LATTER BEING MARKED BY DIGITS FOR WEEKLY-ALLOTMENT COMPARTMENTS AND RESPECTIVELY BY LETTERS FOR SPECIAL EXPENSES, SPACED PARTITIONS SEPARATING THE ROWS OF COMPARTMENTS AND DEFINING THEREBETWEEN THE SECRET SPACE AND A CLOSURE LID FOR EACH COMPARTMENT AND ACCESS MEANS TO THE SECRET SPACE. 